Device for anchoring components on circuit board

ABSTRACT

A circuit board device includes one or more slots formed in a board, and one or more fastener members having one or more projections engageable into the slots of the board, to anchor the fastener member to the board, and to prevent the fastener member from moving relative to the board while welding the fastener member to the board with one or more solders. One or more electronic components may then be precisely and easily aligned with and secured to the fastener members with the other fastener members. A solder member may be applied on the board for securing to the solders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a circuit board, and moreparticularly to a device for solidly and stably anchoring and securingelectronic parts or components onto the circuit board.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical computer facilities comprise one or more electroniccircuit boards each having a number of parts or components securedthereto with fasteners, solders, latches, or the like.

[0005] For example, the resistors, the capacitors, the processor units,the disk drivers, such as the hard disk drivers, etc., are required tobe secured onto the electronic circuit board, by such as the screwthreaded fasteners, the soldering operations etc.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,133 to Yamaguchi et al. discloses one of thetypical electronic circuit boards including a number of electroniccomponents secured to the electronic circuit board with solders (solderpastes) and electrodes (lands).

[0007] However, while soldering or welding the electronic componentsonto the electronic circuit board with the solders and/or electrodes, itwill be difficult to positively retain or position the electroniccomponents relative to the electronic circuit board, such that theelectronic components may normally be offset from the predeterminedposition on the electronic circuit board.

[0008] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional electronic circuitboards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide anelectronic circuit board assembly including an anchoring device forsolidly and stably anchoring and securing electronic parts or componentsonto the circuit board, and thus for positively retaining or positioningthe electronic components to the electronic circuit board.

[0010] The other objective of the present invention is to provide amethod for solidly and stably anchoring and securing electronic parts orcomponents onto the circuit board, and thus for positively retaining orpositioning the electronic components to the electronic circuit board.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provideda circuit board assembly comprising a board body including at least oneslot formed therein, at least one first fastener member including atleast one projection extended therefrom and engageable into the slot ofthe board body, to anchor the first fastener member to the board body,and to prevent the first fastener member from moving relatively to theboard body, at least one solder secured between the board body and thefirst fastener member for securing the first fastener member to theboard body, a component supported on the first fastener member, and asecond fastener member engaged with the first fastener member forsecuring the component to the first fastener member and thus the boardbody with the second fastener member. The first fastener member may beprecisely anchored to the board body and will not be moved or rotatedrelatively to the board body while soldering the first fastener memberto the board body, for allowing the component to be easily and quicklyand precisely aligned with the first fastener member and to be securedto the first fastener member with the second fastener member.

[0012] The slot of the board body includes a non-circular cross section,the projection of the first fastener member includes a non-circularcross section corresponding to that of the slot of the board body forengaging into the slot of the board body.

[0013] The first fastener member includes an inner thread formedtherein, the second fastener member is a screw fastener for threadingwith the inner thread of the first fastener member.

[0014] The board body may further include an orifice formed therein forreceiving the screw fastener, and for further anchoring or positioningthe first fastener member to the board body.

[0015] The board body includes a solder member provided around the slotof the board body, and welded to the solder.

[0016] The board body includes at least one second slot formed thereinand spaced away from the slot thereof, the first fastener memberincludes at least one second projection extended therefrom and spacedaway from the projection, for engaging into the second slot of the boardbody, and for further anchoring the first fastener to the board body,and for further preventing the first fastener from rotating relativelyto the board body.

[0017] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a careful reading of a detailed descriptionprovided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating anattachment of electronic components onto an electronic circuit boardassembly in accordance with the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the electronic circuit board;

[0020]FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the electroniccircuit board;

[0021]FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a fastener tobe secured onto the electronic circuit board;

[0022]FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the electroniccircuit board, having the fastener secured thereon; and

[0023]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, an electroniccircuit board assembly in accordance with the present inventioncomprises a circuit board body 10, and one or more electronic components70, such as the resistors, the capacitors, the processor units, the diskdrivers, or the hard disk drivers, etc., to be secured to the circuitboard body 10 with one or more fastener devices 3.

[0025] The fastener devices 3 each includes a first fastener member 30,such as a nut member 30, to be secured onto the circuit board body 10,and a second fastener member 73, such as a screw fastener 73 to bethreaded to the nut member 30, for securing the electronic components 70to the circuit board body 10.

[0026] Referring next to FIGS. 2-6, the circuit board body 10 includesone or more orifices 11 and one or more slots 12 formed therein. Theorifices 11 and the slots 12 of the circuit board body 10 may becommunicated with each other or not communicated with each other.

[0027] The circuit board body 10 may selectively or optionally providean electrode or a solder, such as a solder paste or solder layer orsolder member 14 applied on one or both surfaces thereof and providedaround the orifices 11 and the slots 12 thereof.

[0028] The first fastener member or the nut member 30 of the fastenerdevice 3 includes one or more projections 31 extended therefrom, such asextended from one end 32 thereof, for engaging into the slots 12 of thecircuit board body 10, and thus for anchoring or securing or positioningthe first fastener member 30 to the circuit board body 10.

[0029] It is preferable that the fastener member 30 includes one or morepairs of opposite projections 31 extended therefrom, for solidlysecuring or positioning the fastener member 30 to the circuit board body10, and for preventing the fastener member 30 from moving or rotatingrelatively to the circuit board body 10.

[0030] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, the fastener member 30includes a pair of opposite projections 31 extended therefrom andaligned with each other in one line, and spaced away from each other,for engaging into the corresponding slots 12 of the board body 10, andthus for preventing the fastener member 30 from moving or rotatingrelatively to the board body 10.

[0031] When the fastener member 30 includes two pairs of projections 31extended therefrom, it is preferable that the two pairs of projections31 are arranged in a cross shape for engaging into the correspondingslots 12 of the circuit board body 10, and thus for preventing thefastener member 30 from moving or rotating relatively to the circuitboard body 10.

[0032] Similarly, when the fastener member 30 includes three or morepairs of projections 31 extended therefrom, the projections 31 may bearranged in a circle or extended from the outer peripheral portion ofthe fastener member 30, for engaging into the corresponding slots 12 ofthe circuit board body 10, and thus for preventing the fastener member30 from moving or rotating relatively to the circuit board body 10.

[0033] The shape and the length and/or the width and/or the area of theprojection 31 may preferably be arranged to be equal to or slightlygreater than that of the slots 12 of the circuit board body 10, forallowing the projections 31 to be snugly fitted into the correspondingslots 12 of the circuit board body 10.

[0034] For example, the projection 31 and the slots 12 of the circuitboard body 10 preferably include a corresponding non-circular crosssection, for allowing the projections 31 to be snugly mated and fittedinto the corresponding slots 12 of the circuit board body 10, and forpreventing the fastener member 30 from rotating relatively to thecircuit board body 10 when only one projection 31 is engaged into one ofthe slots 12 of the circuit board body 10.

[0035] The other end 33 of the fastener member 30 is provided forseating or supporting the electronic components 70 (FIG. 1), and forallowing the electronic components 70 to be separated and spaced awayfrom the circuit board body 10 by the fastener members 30. The fastenermembers 30 each includes a screw hole or an inner thread 34 formed andprovided therein for threading with the screw fastener 73.

[0036] In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, the projections 31 of thefastener members 30 may first be engaged into the corresponding slots 12of the circuit board body 10. The fastener members 30 may then be weldedor soldered to the circuit board body 10 with one or more solders 37which may be secured or welded to the solder members 14.

[0037] The electronic components 70 each includes one or more ears 71laterally extended therefrom and engaged or seated or supported on therespective fastener members 30, and secured to the fastener members 30with the other fastener members 73, for allowing the electroniccomponents 70 to be easily and solidly secured onto the circuit boardbody 10 by the fastener members 30, 73.

[0038] It is to be noted that the fastener members 30 may be positivelypositioned and secured to the circuit board body 10 at the predeterminedor required position by engaging the projections 31 of the fastenermembers 30 into the corresponding slots 12 of the circuit board body 10,such that the fastener members 30 will not be moved or disengagedrelatively to the circuit board body 10 while welding or soldering thefasteners 30 to the circuit board body 10.

[0039] In addition, after the fastener members 30 have been positivelypositioned and secured to the circuit board body 10 at the predeterminedor required position, the ears 71 of the electronic components 70 may beeasily and precisely aligned with the respective fastener members 30,for allowing the fastener members 73 to be easily engaged through theears 71 of the electronic components 70 and threaded or secured to thefastener members 30.

[0040] It is further to be noted that the orifices 11 may be optionallyor selectively formed or provided in the circuit board body 10, forselectively or optionally receiving the fastener member 73 (FIG. 1), andpreferably for snugly receiving the fastener member 73, and thus forfurther solidly securing or positioning the fastener member 73 to thecircuit board body 10.

[0041] Alternatively, the fastener member 73 may include one or morecorresponding projections extended therefrom and engaged through thecorresponding slots 12 of the board body 10, and the fastener member 73may be engaged through the ears 71 of the electronic component 70 andthreaded to the other fastener member 30, for securing the electroniccomponent 70 to the board body 10.

[0042] Accordingly, the electronic circuit board assembly in accordancewith the present invention includes an anchoring device for solidly andstably anchoring and securing electronic parts or components onto thecircuit board, and thus for positively retaining or positioning theelectronic components to the electronic circuit board.

[0043] Although this invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:
 1. A circuit board assembly comprising: a board body forsupporting a component, and including at least one slot formed therein,at least one first fastener member disposed between said board body andsaid component, and including at least one projection extended therefromand engageably conjoining into said at least one slot of said boardbody, to anchor said at least one first fastener member to said boardbody, and to prevent said at least one first fastener member from movingrelatively to said board body, and to support said component on said atleast one first fastener member, and a second fastener member engagedwith said at least one first fastener member to secure said component tosaid at least one first fastener member and said board body with saidsecond fastener member.
 2. The circuit board assembly according to claim1, wherein said at least one slot of said board body includes anon-circular cross section, said at least one projection of said atleast one first fastener member includes a non-circular cross sectioncorresponding to that of said at least one slot of said board body forengaging into said at least one slot of said board body.
 3. The circuitboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said at least one firstfastener member includes an inner thread formed therein, said secondfastener member is a screw fastener for threading with said inner threadof said at least one first fastener member.
 4. The circuit boardassembly according to claim 3, wherein said board body includes anorifice formed therein for receiving said screw fastener.
 5. The circuitboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said board body includes atleast one second slot formed therein and spaced away from said at leastone slot thereof, said at least one first fastener member includes atleast one second projection extended therefrom and spaced away from saidat least one projection, for engaging into said at least one second slotof said board body, and for further anchoring said at least one firstfastener to said board body.
 6. The circuit board assembly according toclaim 1 further comprising at least one solder secured between saidboard body and said at least one first fastener member for securing saidat least one first fastener member to said board body.
 7. The circuitboard assembly according to claim 6, wherein said board body includes asolder member provided around said at least one slot of said board body,and welded to said at least one solder.